Zutara Week '11
by xaSomethingWish
Summary: My submission for this year's prompts.  Better late than never!
1. Mask

**A/N: I bet you thought I was dead, didn't you! I might as well have been, though. I've been suffering from a major case of writer's block for the past year, but fear not! I have found my muse again, so I should have lots more for you all soon!**

**And yes, I know this is late. I had a lot going on during the actual week. Here it is. I can't even tell if it's good or not anymore, I've been staring at them for too long. They haven't been proof-read either, so if you spy an obvious error, let me know. Enjoy!**

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><p>"<em>Every face wears a mask." -Unknown<em>

The chirping of the crickets was a perfect accompaniment for the dance of the fireflies through the long grass on the warm summer evening. Underneath the vibrant signs of life, a long-abandoned temple sheltered eight young warriors. Only one inhabitant had managed to elude sleep; a young man with golden eyes and a thick scar across one part of his face. He lay with his arms tucked under his head, thinking of blue.

The Blue Spirit. The title circled his head like an angry mosquito. He remembered the mask he had dropped in a lake, the identity he had stopped hiding behind. He thought of what he'd done with his second personality: stealing supplies for himself and his uncle, stealing the Avatar from Zhao, and then stealing the flying bison from his underground prison. He had only been able to use his secret identity to take from others.

Katara had always given. When she'd adopted the role of the Painted Lady, she had used it to give a better life to the people of a small, insignificant fishing village. She was a healer; a giver; a helper. Her actions were guided by a need to right wrongs. This small, gifted fighter from a crumbling village was working her hardest to make life easier for almost everyone she encountered. The girl who had suffered so much was still giving with every fiber of her being.

His mask had been a way to hide. To shelter his face of shame. But she had seen through it, through him, with her ocean eyes and open heart. A peasant he had once wanted to use as bait. He knew better now. She was a physical embodiment of her element: ever changing, ever the cause of change; unyielding one moment, capable of unbounded kindness the next; a killer and a giver of life.

The realization that he loved her dawned on him as peaceful and magnificent as a summer's sunrise.

The revelation that he knew next to nothing about her struck him like a bolt of lightning to the chest.

His mind scrambled to collect every fact he could recall about her. He knew her mother had been killed when she was very young, that she had learned water bending in the Northern tribe, that her brother was a fierce fighter and an idiot, and that she was the only one who thought she was an accomplished cook. But other than the obvious, she kept herself hidden. She hid behind a permanent mask, the same one a mother tries to keep in place to keep the attention focused on her children.

But she had never mothered him. She'd fought him, insulted him, frozen him in a chunk of ice, pushed him to the very edge of his patience, forced him to eat her less-than-stellar cooking, made him see his flaws, given him a chance to become good again, and offered to heal his emotional scars by taking away the physical one. None of that had been done with any sort of motherly affection, thought. Nor was it the "normal" sibling affection she displayed with Sokka, or that he felt with Toph. It was something... different. Something _more._

His romantic experiences up to this had been... less that stellar, to say the least. Mai had been nice, but more like a dead weight hanging off his arm if he was being honest. Song and Jin had both been sweet, and very pretty, but they didn't have anything to keep him interested. He had puzzled them out in almost no time. They had all become a blur of pale skin and bland eyes.

But this water bender, this enemy he'd been raised to hate, was filling his thought and keeping his interest. If only he could chip away the wall she'd built between them since Ba Sing Se, show her that he had truly changed for the better, and that it was mostly thanks to her. Maybe if he could find out more about how her mother had died-

Soft footsteps sent gentle vibrations through the floor and to the rock slab Zuko slept on. Years of expecting an ambush caused his muscles to tense as the person paused in front of his door. He closed his eyes and evened out his breathing as the door slid open and shut again. Fabric swished against skin, and Zuko prepared to jump up grab the intruder.

"Zuko."

His heart froze.

"Zuko, you can stop pretending to be asleep."

Katara had seen past his act _again_. How could one person be so good at reading another?

"What do you want?" he asked, his voice coming out groggier than he'd expected.

"I-" Her voice cracked. "I miss her so much."

The young prince was sitting up in an instant pulling her onto the bed and into his arms, her head tucked under his chin. "I know," he soothed. "I know." Images of his own mother flashed before his eyes, of her warm eyes and gentle smile. He wondered if Katara's mother had shared her kind eyes with her daughter. His arms wound around her waist and pulled her across his body so she was laying with her back facing the wall and his body shielding hers from the view of the door. He hugged her close for several minutes as the sobs racked her body and her tears stained his pillow. Zuko was certain that she'd never given in to her feelings like this before, that once her mother had died she had locked her true feelings away and let herself become the pillar to support her family. He had had Uncle, once they fled the capitol city, but who had been there for her? Who had held her and patted her head and kissed her forehead and told her that she would be alright, that she needed to let everything out before it ate her up. Who had been her pillar? At last she managed to take a few shaky breaths. "I'm sorry," she whispered, rubbing at the tears tracks on her cheek. "I didn't mean to-"

"Shh," he ordered, using his thumb to wipe the last tear from her eye. "Don't apologize. I understand." And he honestly did. Even though Sokka had been older and probably had more memories of their mother, Zuko had a feeling that Katara had been closer to her. A slight smile tugged at her lips, her eyes locked on his. Her right hand came to rest of his mangled flesh, and as his lids closed the memory of that fateful day in the caves returned in a painful flash. "I'm sorry." He pressed his lids tighter together, praying that they would never open so he could avoid seeing the hurt in her eyes. "You don't want to look at this. I'll just-"

He tried to turn his head away, but she held it in place. "This scar does not define you, Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation." Her voice was low but firm. "It is a part of you, but it is not who you are." She sat up, and pressed her lips to the center of his father's mark.

No one had ever, _ever_, dared to kiss that cheek. Mai hadn't even wanted to touch it, and when they had posed for portraits she was always standing to his right. But Katara, the broken healer he was holding in his arms, was able to look past his facial abnormality. "No one's ever touched it like that before, have they?" she asked, reading the thought off his face as if they were writing on a scroll.

"No." He cupped her face in his palms. "No one." He drew her close, resting his lips in the space between her eyebrows. "Nobody before you." He moved down to the tip of her nose. "And now, nobody after you." Here, he hesitated, afraid to move too quickly and lose her forever, like he almost had several times before. But just as he was about to dip down, she rose to meet him, her fingers holding his face firmly against her own. He moved one arm around her back, crushing her to him while their mouths remained locked.

Their kiss was not one of passion, of a hungry need driven by desire and lust. It was warm, and gentle, and spoke of feelings both had been trying to suppress for months now. No tongues were exploring, no hands were roving, and yet it was still so intimate, so raw, so powerful. It was the final surrender of two strong hearts, the stripping away of their armor and the remolding that occurs when two separate entities join as one. They finally parted, their foreheads touching, as sleep finally came to claim its final victims.


	2. History

**A/N: IMPORTANT! THIS IS THE SETTING OF THE STORY: Zuko has kidnapped Katara and they are on his boat. FYI. So you don't get lost. Also, the story was actually an idea I had from a new Zutara fic I've been mentally writing for a while now, but then the plot of that story completely changed, and I had no good place to keep this idea. Until now. I hope you like it!**

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><p>The monotonous scraping of spoons across bowls echoed around the small iron room. Thirty-odd men devoted themselves to the task of consuming the stew and bread in front of them, their unoccupied eyes unable to keep away from the exotic young woman seated next to their prince. He, however, seemed determined to ignore her very existence, his eyes closed and a scowl burned on his face while he took delicate bites of his rice and pork. She was staring at her own dish, eyes unfocused and puffy from crying.<p>

"'S not right," grumbled one older mechanic between bites. "Kidnappin' a girl. My oldest ain't even her age yet."

"That don't matter, though, does it?" a younger helmsman hissed back. "Your daughter ain't a water bender, and she sure ain't no ally of the Avatar."

They were quiet for a few moments more, until a man across the table spoke up. "He's about my sons age." He looked up at his now-staring crew mates. "The Avatar." His gaze fell to the table, receding back into his thoughts. "His birthday was last week. He'll be old enough to start training soon. Gifted bender, he is. The Army will be glad to take him."

The fellow-parent to his right placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, and the boys in the group began to realize what kind of pain they had put their parents through as they saw a tear traveling down his cheek.

The groaning of a wooden chair across a wooden floor brought every soldier to attention. The young prince rose slowly, keeping his hands pressed to the table. "Remain seated," he ordered, his golden eyes patrolling the audience. "I hope you are all enjoying your meal." He cleared his throat, and several people saw him begin to fidget nervously. "I- My uncle and I, have been wanting to show you all just how grateful we are. We would be nowhere without you. So we've decided that tonight will be a Music and Stories night. We will all spend the remainder of the night on the deck of the ship."

Puzzled but obedient, the crew found themselves standing on the deck several minutes later, the first drizzles of what promised to be a spectacular storm falling on their heads.

"He's lost his mind," a yellow-toothed man hissed to the group of youngsters in front of him. "Bringing us up here just before it pours. Does he want us all to drown?"

The was a whoosh, and a burst of light as the man in question lit the wood in the iron fire pit. "Come, sit." It was not a suggestion, so the men all sat. At the back of the crowd, one girl with distant blue eyes remained standing, watching the men around her silently. The increasing wind toyed with her long brown hair, giving her a wild look. "Now, who wishes to be first tonight?"

As the men looked amongst each other nervously, no hand went up.

"Really? No one?" The fearsome golden gaze locked onto a taller man with deep laugh lines etched on his face. "Not even you, Aosika? You're always so quick to come up with amusing tale when you're working. Why the silence now?"

Hesitantly, Aosika raised his head to meet his leader's gaze. "Forgive me, sir, but it's late, and there's a storm coming. Shouldn't we do this some other night, or at least move back below deck?"

Zuko's stoney face was unreadable. His uncle, the famed General Iroh and older brother to their lord, Ozai, watched him carefully, prepared to intervene if events took a turn for the worse.

During the stare-off, the rain began to fall more steadily. The men flinched and began to grumble to each other, but Zuko remained frozen, oblivious to the discomfort of his men.

"Come on, sir! We're getting soaked!" Several other men shouted out agreeing statements, hoping their leader would see reason and go down below before the weather turned ugly. Besides, they figured, he's a fire bender. It's not natural for them to be out in the rain; it's their elemental opposite.

"Prince Zuko, please-"

"If I say we're staying up here, we're staying here!" he barked, the men all flinching back.

Suddenly, the rain on the deck ceased. The men looked up, and out over the ocean, but it was still raining. Zuko, however, was looking at something behind his crew, his eyes wide and his jaw slack. They all turned, and gasping in surprise.

The girl from the water tribe, the small, silent thing their prince had dragged onto their ship three days ago, was standing with her arm extended, and it commanding the rain to stop falling. "A water bender," they began to whisper. "_The_ water bender! The only one in the entire South Pole."

"Stop it," she hissed, the first words she's spoken since arriving. "Stop punishing the men for my attitude. What did you expect, for me to fall at your feet in worship and offer to help you capture the world's last hope for peace? I never expected the banished prince of the Fire Nation to be that naïve and stupid." Her voice was as unforgiving as the waves crashing against the ship and as harsh as the rain pouring around them. "If you want the crew on the deck, then fine. They're here. But they're not going to have to suffer just because you want to have a stand-off with Mother Nature. You want to hear a story? Good. I've got one to share. You won't like it, but tough. It's what you wanted, so you'll sit and listen with the rest of them. Happy?"

The crew turned in unison back to their leader. An ugly sneer stretched across his face as he sat on a stool on the other side of the fire pit. "I'm never happy," he growled back, his weak comeback a clear sign that he had surrendered, for the moment.

Never taking her eyes off him, she began to sit, but one of the men pulled up a stool and she took it with a sweet smile and a kind "thank you."

The rain continued to fall as Katara started her narrative. "This is the story of Sedna, the woman who saved the world."

"Was she an Avatar?" a man piped up, instantly hushed by his crew mates.

"No," she replied. "No, she was not an Avatar. She was a water bender of extraordinary power and beauty, so much so that even the spirit of the ocean could not resist her. He often came to her in dreams, to teach her the ways of water bending. For, you see, she lived when the world was still young, and bending relatively new. During those days, the barrier between the physical and spirit worlds was less defined, making it easier for Tui to appear to her on a regular basis. He carried her soul away to the Spirit World every night to teach her the art of bending water, how to use it to fight and heal, and she in turn showed the people of her village. They became strong and prosperous, living in peace with world around them, content with their isolated way of life.

"One night, when Tui came to visit Sedna, he did not take her to his world. 'I have nothing left to teach you,' he said. 'But La and I have a warning to offer you.' Sedna had never met the spirit of the moon before, and the light radiating from the pale, perfect woman nearly made her blind. 'Sedna of the Southern Tribe,' the female spirit said, 'you have been a guiding light to your people. Now come, take my hand. There is something you must see.' Their hands touched, and Sedna found herself standing in the middle of her village, alone. It was the middle of the day, and the people passed by without acknowledgment, happily completing their daily chores. Suddenly, a white bird fell to the ground in front of Sedna's feet, dead. She checked it for any sign of its killer, but there was none. Perplexed, she looked up again to witness ten more fall from the skies in the same way as the first. The people around her began to cry out, dropping their items and running away from the coast. Sedna ran towards it, fighting her way through a mass of familiar faces. The the shoreline, all of the talented young benders she had trained we poised, ready to fight, when a wave of fire came across the ocean. The flames burned her eyes and she threw up her arm as a shield, taking a few steps back. When she looked again, there was nothing left but dark clouds on the horizon and gently-falling black snow. 'Take care,' whispered La's voice in her ear. 'Beware the black snow. For it will bring the end of peace as you know it.'"

"Enough!" The roar of the prince sliced through the spellbound silence Katara had over his crew. "Enough. I will hear no more of this ridiculous story, this fable you've created."

"Suit yourself," Katara replied. "You can leave if you wish. But I intend on telling Sedna's sad story through to the end, no matter how bad of a light it casts on your perfect nation."

Zuko's nostrils flared, and the men closest to him prepared to either duck out of the way or attempt to restrain him. "Fine," he spat at last. "Finish weaving your web of lies, water witch. But remember, that you are in my care while aboard this ship, so I suggest that you do not anger me much further."

Her eyes flashed, but she nodded silently before turning back to the men. "Months past after the night of La's warning. Life in the tribe continued as usual. By this time, Sedna had grown to become the most desirable woman in the southern pole. Men begged her daily to become their wive. There were even several who traveled from the northern pole to seek her hand. But still, she wore no necklace." Here, Katara paused to reach for her own. "For, you see, she had given her heart to the sea, and consequently Tui, long ago, and could never love another. She took solace in her daily swims with the creatures of the ocean, dancing amongst them in the quiet calm that can only be found deep under the surface.

Until at last, one day, it happened. She stumbled upon the large body of a whale, her stomach still filled with her unborn calf and a large burn covering her entire right side. Black snow began to fall as she touched the oozing wound. An unmeasurable hatred filled her, causing her entire body to shake with rage and the water to begin to churn angrily. 'They must be stopped. No, they will be stopped,' she vowed, rising out of the waves. She took in a deep breath, and as she exhaled the spirits of the ocean joined with her to form a sheet of ice, as thick as a man is tall, stretching back to her home. She began to walk towards the dark shape emitting a pillar of dark smoke, each step forming a new sheet of ice. Soon, all she could see was the great hull, and men clothed in red. They were crowded along the edges, pointing in fear and awe at the ice field and woman before them. The ship came to a halt, and so did Sedna. Their silent standoff lasted for several long moments, until the captain gave to order to continue forward. At last, Sedna and the spirits lending her strength went into action, freezing the ship in place on a cushion of icicles. She leapt onto the deck, throwing water at each of the burning catapults and the armored men before her. With their weapons crippled, the men began to swarm her, but they were no match, and soon it was only Sedna and Dai La, the then crown prince of the Fire Nation.

As soon as he had seen Sedna he had been captivated. Her power, her fluidity, and her ink-blue eyes were at once frightening and hypnotic. "Leave this place," she ordered, "or I will destroy you all."

"Remain with us, and we will leave your home in peace," Dai La countered. The men behind her had begun to recover, and he could see that she was beginning to tire.

Sedna, however, was panicked not due to fatigue, but the prospect of leaving her home with this ruthless invader. Everything about them, from the cold material of the vessel to their fighting style to the harsh gleam in their eyes screamed danger to her. But she loved her people, loved them enough to sacrifice herself. "Do not fear, child," La comforted. "We will be with you always," Tui added.

"Alright, I will go with you," Sedna answered. "But only if you swear to return to your home country immediately."

Dai La bowed. "It is done." He had several men restrain her and lead her below deck to the cells. He had expected more of a fight, but was strangely pleased that she had agreed to come along."

"Stop right there." Zuko's menacing growl stopped Katara's story once again. "How can you calmed spew such utter crap to my men? A prince of the Fire Nation being attracted to a water peasant? It's too absurd to be true."

"I saw your face when I mentioned his name," Katara replied coolly. "You had never heard of him, or his wife, or the two children she gave birth to. That is because your family decided that they were a dark blemish on the royal family's history and should be forgotten. They were written out of the history scrolls, and taken off the royal family tree."

"Zuko, please stop interrupting this young woman's tale." The old man next to Zuko reached up, pleading. "I am enjoying it."

With a violent scowl, he threw himself back down onto the stool. "You said he married her?"

Katara nodded. "Yes. She lived with him for three years at the palace before he asked her. Only his younger brother and sister were against the match, but his parents had grown to love her as well. They saw it as a guarantee of peace between the two nations."

"And what of Sedna?" the question came from a woman in her mid-twenties, one of only two females on board. "Did she love them as well?"

"That is a bit more complicated. She had grown fond of the Fire Lord and Lady, and did love Dai La, for he was her other half, but she could never forget her home in the south, and the winters that would last for nine months, and the days of no light and then of no dark, and the family she had left behind there. She would often spend long days standing on the beach, letting the waves wash against her legs and looking out on the horizon, praying that she would see blue sails on the skyline coming to take her home.

"But none ever came. The wedding magnificent, with the bride wearing blue and the groom gold, and the nation of fire was full of joy. A year later a son was born, and three years after that a daughter. All was happy and peaceful until the night of the blue moon.

"On this night, much like the nights of the full moon, Sedna could not sleep. The power of her element was racing through her veins like fire, giving her no rest. Silently, she crept out of the palace to her favorite secluded cove. No sooner had she stepped into the waves when Tui appeared before her. 'Sedna, there had been an attack,' he began. 'Your husband's brother, Ozin, burned down the entire fishing fleet of your village, and intends on launching a full attack in the morning. He will bring your home to the ground if he is not stopped.'

"Sedna could feel her heart breaking, and demanded he tell her how she could help.

"'Abandon this life,' he said. 'Give up your human body, your human emotions, and become a part of the ocean to protect your home for the rest of eternity.'

"Without another look back, she stepped out into the deep water. Tui took her hand, and they began to walk away when a voice cried out from the shore. Sedna turned around to see her beloved Dai La standing waist-deep in the waves. 'No! Come back! Come back to me!' he cried. 'Please! Don't go!'

"She gave him a final sad smile. 'I loved you. No matter what happens, remember that. I loved you all so much.' And as the Fire Prince watched from the shallows, Sedna disintegrated into the water swirling around her, forever devoting herself to the protection of the Southern Water Tribe."

"What happened to Dai La, and the children?" an older man demanded.

"Well, after Ozin's defeat, he returned home in shame. He was banished from the palace by his parents, but he did not take this news well. So that night, he slipped poison in their wine, and declared himself Fire Lord. Dai La feared that soon he and the children would be next, so they escaped to the Northern Water Tribe. He died several years later, in his sleep, and his body was laid to rest in the waters his love now guarded. His daughter, who was a gifted healer, grew to marry the chief, while her brother, who had no bending ability, joined the army and later died defending his home from his uncle's troops."

"What a sad tale," murmured one man, and several others voiced their agreement.

"Now that story time is over, back to work." Zuko's order snapped the men back to attention, and the rushed back to their posts. Before she could sneak back to her cell, Zuko grabbed her arm, leading her to his own private chambers. "I have a question for you," he finally said, pushing her onto the bed. "If this Sedna spirit really protects your home, how did we manage to get there with no resistance?"

She looked down at the floor. "They say... at least, my grandmother says, that she's been reincarnated." Her eyes jumped up to his. "That I am her re-incarceration."

He backed away, shaking his head. "No," he murmured. "It can't be."

"And If I am Sedna, then you must be Dai La." She smirked. "We can't fight history, Prince."


	3. Social Networking

7/27/11

Day 3: social networking

"I will not marry her!"

"Zuko, calm down-"

"NO! How can you make me do this? I barely know her, and you expect me to spend the rest of my life with her?"

"We've been over this, Zuko. If you would just listen-"

"How could you do this to me, Mom? After all those other offers you turned down for me, promising that it would be my choice when the time was right-"

"That was before we had a chance for peace. Before you had a chance to end these years of bloodshed. How could you not want that? How can you be so selfish?"

"I can be as selfish as I want! It's my life, dammit, and I'm going to marry the woman I love, not some idiot ice queen from the south pole!"

"Why are you fighting this now? The wedding is tomorrow!"

"Do you really think I care?"

"Zuko-"

"Stop. I'm leaving."

"No, Zuko, you can't-"

"Leave me alone!"

The slamming door echoes through the quiet vacation villa, cutting off the Fire Lady's desperate pleas. The adolescent prince proceeds to storm out of the constricting walls of his summer prison towards the secluded cove he and his mother use to escape the eyes of the public. He spends several minutes pacing back and forth, kicking up sand and swearing angrily under his breath, venting all of his anger on the empty air. He begins to grow sweaty, and fearing that he will soon start emitting flames from his mouth, he strips down to his bottom layer of shorts and dives into the waves, allowing the chilling quiet to calm his growing temper. As he resurfaces, he notices a girl standing on the shore.

"Who are you?" he calls. She does not answer, so he swims closer. "Who are you, and how did you get down here? This is a private beach."

"I'm sorry." Her tone is anything but apologetic. "I went for a swim around the island and saw that this beach was abandoned. I wasn't expecting anyone else to come." Her eyes travel up and down his body, and he uses her silence to appreciate her in the same way. Her dark skin and thick hair are a dead give-away that she is water tribe, but even without those features there would be no mistaking her origin with one look at her eyes. Dark, unfathomable, and the pure unspoiled blue of the open ocean. "You seemed pretty upset a little earlier. If you want, I could leave-"

"No. No, I'd rather have you stay. That is, if you're not busy."

She shakes her head. "I have the entire day to myself."

"How did you come here? Not to the beach, I mean. But to the Fire Nation, and Ember Island. Did you come with the Southern Water Tribe envoy?"

"Yes. Yes, I did."

"And are you... close with the princess?"

"With Katara you mean? Yes, I am very close."

"What is she like? The daughter of the tribe's chief." He keeps his tone light and teasing. He believes that she has no idea who he really is.

"Why do you want to know?" She's becoming wary of him, suspicious that he has an ulterior motive. Which is true.

"Everyone knows who she is, but nobody knows anything. Take the prince." He sits on the sand, and motions for her to do the same, realizing for the first time that she is clothes only in pale under wrappings. "The entire city knows that his favorite food is a ripe mango, that he is a gifted painter and can play the pipa. He and his sister do not get along, at all, and he detests, amongst many other things, orders, formal armor, cats of any kind, the color orange, funerals, and bugs. But all we know about Katara is that she has an older sibling, she is a strong water bender, and she is to marry our beloved prince in two days."

"I see what you're saying. Well, she's not only the most powerful water bender to ever come from our tribe, she is also the most gifted. Most benders can either fight well and barely heal, or heal anything and hardly fight, but she is accomplished in both areas. She's dedicated to her people, and would gladly die for them. She has an older brother named Sokka who is not a bender, but is one of the most brilliant inventors and planners you could ever know. She misses her mother every day, her favorite dish to date is still stewed sea prunes, and she hates the color pink. Her favorite flower is the pandalily, her favorite season is spring, she hates when people chew with their mouths open, and she is secretly hoping that her unwanted honeymoon is going to be on a small, secluded, tropical island."

"Unwanted? You mean she doesn't want to be married?"

"Who would want to? To be forced to spend the rest of your life with a stranger? She wants to have a bit more time to get to know him. But she also knows that this is the only way to guarantee peace, so she's going to go through with it."

"I've heard that Zuko feels the same way," he mutters. "But enough about them. Tell me more about you."

"Like..."

"Like how you managed to swim _around the island_. Not even the crazy warriors will do that. Swim far out and back, yes. Swim around Ember Island? No."

She laughs, and he finds that he can't help but smile too. "You really have to ask that question? Did you honestly think that the chief's daughter would have a non-bender as her lady-in-waiting slash secret protector? I practically grew up in the water. I know how to navigate rip tides."

"Oh really?" Zuko doesn't know what has come over him, but something about her makes him feel... giddy. And flirty. Very, very flirty. His arms wrap around her narrow waist before she can react, and he carries her to the water. Her surprised shrieks only egg him on, and he tosses her into the waves. He watches the spot her dropped her, laughing, until the gravity of what he has done hits him. "I dunked a water bender in the ocean." He wants to hit himself, but instead he focuses on looking for where she might be. Just as he think of retreating to shore, a liquid tentacle materializes around both his ankles, dragging him under the surface and out to sea. Just when he feels his lungs beginning to burn, he is released and scrambles up for air.

"Not fair!" he cries, still trying to wipe the water from his eyes.

"That's what happens when you take on a water bender." Her breath tickles his nose, and he opens his eyes to find himself drowning in her gaze. He wraps her thighs in his arms and lifts her up, her laughs and shrieks telling him that she actually is enjoying herself. "Put me down!" she gasps, unable to stop smiling.

"How are you going to make me, o great water bender?"

Her forehead leans against his, her eyes locked on his parted lips. Her hands move from his shoulders to his neck and back again. His eyes fall closed, and he brings his mouth closer to hers...

And she's gone. Slippery as a fish, she slides from his grasp and is halfway to the shore before he can recover. "Oh, you do not play fair at all!" He chases her, catching her waist and causing them both to tumbling into a pile on the warm sand. They turn to each other, neither wanting to move from the spot. "Tell me about your home," he whispers.

So she does. She talks of the endless winters and too-short summers, of days with no night and nights with no day, of the way a sunset can turn the world of ice into a breath-taking plateau of orange and pink and violet. He holds her hand as she talks of the raids and feeling of fear that comes from having only one boy to guard your home, and how much she misses her mother, whose necklace she always wears. She explains what it was like to fish through the ice, to skin a wild buffalo deer, the many uses of a tiger seal, dead or alive, and the tradition behind the ice dodging ritual. She shares the secret behind her bending, the story of Tui and La, the spirits come to earth in the form of fish, Yin and Yang in an unending dance. He laughs along with her stories of the time Sokka was mistaken for a penguin's chick and all of the young girls in the village needed to save him, and the first time Katara's grandmother, the village medicine woman, had made stewed sea prunes, leading to the first mass case of the stomach flu.

"Speaking of food, I think it's time for some lunch," Zuko finally says, jumping up and offering a hand to his companion.

"Where would you suggest? I still have no idea how to navigate this island."

"Just trust me." He glances down at her clothing. "But, uh, do you have... well, something... else, to wear..."

"Oh. _Oh_. Ah, no. This is all I was wearing when I left this morning."

He reaches for his clothing pile and throws her something red. "Here. Throw that on. It's a shirt on me, but on you it should be-"

"A dress." His guess is correct. Where it barely falls to the middle of Zuko's thighs, on her it reaches past her knees. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." He takes her by the hand and they walk farther down the beach, wading through the shallows when the cliffs reach to the water. Thirty minutes later, they reach the crowed public beach, weaving between screaming children and racing teens to reach the food stands. They pick a popular noodle house and seats closest to the ocean, the flustered waitress taking their orders almost immediately and then leaving them to their solitude.

"This is quite a popular place," she says, looking around at the colorful array of fire nation customers.

"They say it's a favorite of the royal family, and if they like it, so does the rest of the Fire Nation."

She takes a sip of the chilled tea the waitress has just brought. "Tell me about your country," she says.

The afternoon passes with stories of his first time riding a Kimodo Rhino, of the crowded market street in the capitol, the honor of the Agni Kai, the endless warmth of his home, and the constant worry for troops overseas. He tells her of tropical storms that leave nothing but destruction and death in their wake, of the trembles that precede a volcanic eruption, and of his long-dead fear of water because he believed it would extinguish his inner fire. He points out the ships on the harbor being towed by sea lions, identifies the store's pet toucan-puffin, shares that his father's raven eagle once attacked his first messenger hawk, Scout, and that as a child he loved to feed the local flock of turtle ducks. He describes the serenity that comes from chasing fireflies on a warm summer evening, from cooking food over a bonfire on the beach with his mother and uncle, the two most important people in his life, and from rainy afternoons spent in his deceased father's study, reading old scrolls and drinking his uncle's famous tea.

"What happened to your father?" she asks.

He pulls himself upright. "He died. That's all."

She reaches for the hand he's left on the table. "I'm sorry."

He squeezes her fingers. "I'm not," he says, no trace of bitterness in his voice. "He wasn't a good man. He wanted power too badly, and lost sight of everything else in his pursuit. I don't miss him at all. Besides, I have my uncle. He's been more of a father to me then mine ever was or ever could have been."

She smiles at him, then looks out over the ocean. "Shit! I'm late!" She jumps up and reaches over to plant a kiss on Zuko's cheek. "It was nice to meet you! I had a lot of fun today. Maybe we can meet again tomorrow?" Before Zuko can even think to react, she is gone, her bobbing hair hidden in the crowd.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow is the day of the wedding.

"Wait!" he cries, rushing after he even though he knows it's too late.

"Sir!" The cry is from the noodle shop. "Sir! You need to pay!"

He turns, making sure the man behind the counter can see his eyes. "Send the bill to the Fire Lord's summer residence. Say it's at Prince Zuko's expense."

The man quivers, obviously not expecting the crown prince to be the one trying to skip out on paying. "Ye-yes, your grace. It will be done immediately, your majesty." He bows low as Zuko resumes his frantic search, knowing that she is long gone but hoping that by some miracle she will return and he can tell her the truth.

"I don't even know her name," he moans, mentally kicking himself for not asking as soon as he met her. But if she is a lady-in-waiting to his supposed bride, then it shouldn't be hard to find out who she is. Bolstered by this new hope, he heads back to where his mother is surely waiting anxiously. He noticed a few of the guards amongst the crowd earlier, so he hopes that they assured her that he was safe.

As soon as he crosses the threshold, however, Lady Ursa is upon him.

"How dare you!" she explodes, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him to his room. "You have a duty to this country, and spending the day cavorting with a strange girl is not the way to fulfill it! She could have been an assassin for all you know! And you are already promised to be married!" They reach his private bathroom, and she takes a deep calming breath. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for yelling, and I'm especially sorry for the way things have turned out. If I had my way, I would let you make your own choice when it comes to marriage, and Iroh feels the same way. But we have to do what's best for out country." She rests her palm against his left cheek. "I know this isn't easy, but it's for the best. Forget that girl, and make the most of your life with Katara."

But as Zuko cleans up and prepares for the long day ahead of him, he can think of nothing else but the captivating water bender he has grown to care for in such a short amount of time.

The next morning passes by in a blur. One minute, Zuko is taking a quiet breakfast with his uncle and the next, he is standing next to his fiance in front of the fire priest. He glances down at her between reciting passages. Her hair is intricately piled on her head in a mixture of a braid, hair loops, and a crown with two tassels dangling from either side. Her dark skin is marked only by the blue face paint that is traditional for brides in her home land. The blue dress she wears covers up all exposed skin, and around her neck is the red and gold collar he sent her as a sign of their engagement almost a year ago. She is not unattractive, and Zuko hopes that he will be able to at least make her comfortable, if not happy.

"You may now place the gift from your tribe on the prince."

The old man's words break through Zuko's thoughts. He turns to face her as she brings a purple cloth out from the folds of her sleeves. He bends down to make it easier for her to reach as she throws the cape-like item over his shoulders, deftly tucking it under his collar so two thin strips of lavender are visible against his burnt-red robes. He tries to make eye contact, to give her a small, reassuring smile, but she keeps her gaze down and away from his.

"The gifts of unity have been exchanged! Fire and water are now joined as one! Let them affirm these bonds with a kiss!"

Zuko hopes this is not her first time as he leans down and presses his closed mouth to hers. The static jump that passes from his lips to his heart makes him pull back with a gasp of surprise. His pulse is racing as he looks down at her, mystified as to what has just happened and hoping he will see something in her eyes that tells him it was not a one-sided reaction. She is, however, avoiding his gaze again, and turns to face the applauding crowd. He believes that he can see a hint of pink in her cheeks as he takes her hand softly and they bow before the people gathered in the courtyard. A gong sounds, and everyone scrabbles to be seated for the wedding feast. Cushions are brought up to the newly-joined couple, and they take their seats. He looks for his girl in the crowd, but the only lady-in-waiting is a tall girl with short, chestnut hair and brown eyes. Dejected, he picks at his food, idly noticing that Katara is as hungry as he is. Once again, times passes too quickly for the young prince, and in the blink of an eye they are releasing lanterns over the ocean and walking back to Zuko's chambers.

He closes the door and turns to face her awkwardly. "Well, the bathroom is over there. You can go change and wash all that stuff off your face, if you want."

She shakes her head. "The bridal paint must remain on until after the... wedding night."

Oh, he thinks. She has to wear that stuff until we have sex. "Ah, well, I guess, you could go change. In private. If you wish."

She gives a small bow. "Thank you."

As she turns away, Zuko slaps his palm against his face. Not only is this awkward enough for her, but he has to go and make it worse by not even knowing all of the customs and bringing up the one subject he'd been hoping to avoid for as long as possible. Still verbally abusing himself, he goes into his large closet to begin stripping off the ridiculous clothing he has been forced to wear. He reaches for his casual robe and noticed the blue trunk that has been placed in the far corner. Curious, he opens the lid and picks through her clothing, noting that she has nothing in any color but blue or white, the latter being an issue he will have to discuss with her soon. A quick flash of red catches his eye, and he pulls out the robe he gave away yesterday.

"How did this..." An unbelievable situation growing in his mind, he rushes to the bathroom and pounds on the door. "Katara. Please come out here. I have to ask you something." The door begins to open slowly, but Zuko cannot wait that long. "Katara, how did you get-"

Her eyes meet his, and he is unable to speak.

"You!" she gasps. "You! How dare you! A whole day together, an entire fucking day and you never bothered to tell me who you are!" She slams her hands against his chest, pushing him back across the room. "You slimy bastard! You liar! You were just leading me on that whole day weren't you?"

He is too shocked by her reaction to reply, but as soon as she utters "liar" he snaps back. "You hypocritical bitch! I led you on? Who told me that she was working for the water tribe princess, never bothering to mention that she was actually Katara of the Southern Tribe? Who made think that you were just a commoner?"

"I never said anything like that!" she shouts. "I said that I came with her convoy, and that I was very close to her, but I never said that I worked for her."

"Oh really? 'Do you really think that a chief's daughter would have a non-bender as her servant slash body guard?'" he quotes, pitching his voice higher in an awful impersonation of her voice.

"Okay, so I said that to purposely mislead you. But if you had actually paid attention to the information given to you by my brother, you would've known that I do have a non-bender as my body guard."

"Really? The girl with the short hair can't bend?"

"No. She's a member of the Kyoshi Island warriors. And one of my closest friends."

Zuko takes a moment to digest all that she's said. "So... all those things you said, were really about you?"

"Everything I told you was about me. All the stories about the south pole, those were my life experiences." Her eyes go wide. "Were your stories real too?"

He knows she's thinking of what he said about his father. "Yes. That was all true. I'm not sad he's gone. He was corrupt, and didn't know how to love anymore. I love my uncle as a father, and I'm glad he was the man to help raise me."

"Do you think that your mother would want..." Her eyes begin to fill with tears. "That should could love me like a daughter?"

He wraps her up in his arms, tucking her head under his chin. "She could talk of nothing else but how excited she was to gain another daughter for the last month." His lips brushed against her forehead, and a flash of desire traveled through his body.

"Did you feel that?" Her eyes rise to meet his.

"Feel what?"

Her arms wraps around his neck so she can pull herself up to meet his lips. "That," she gasps as the lightning shock passes from her to him and back again.

"What do you think?" he growls as he presses into her, lifting her up and over to the bed. He slips her out of her loose robe as she unties the fabric keeping his on. He pulls back for a moment to take in her beauty, and watches as she smiles and begins to laugh.

"What?"

"You know what I think?"

"That you're a damn lucky woman?"

"Well, yes. But I was thinking that I could fall in love with you."

He smiles as he kisses her, his body resting just above hers. "I was thinking the same thing."


	4. Secret

Another full moon. Another perfect summer evening. Another mission completed.

_I can't believe she's keeping me waiting. I've been standing in this stupid cave for almost twenty minutes now. If she doesn't show up in the next minute-_

Light footsteps stop my thoughts cold. I press against the cave walls, making sure my mask is kept in the shadows. All I can hear is my breathing echoed in my heavy mask and the crash of the surf onto the cliffs. I am waiting for the figure to pass in front of the entrance, my fingers flexing, itching to grab my swords.

I am so focused on the ground level that I almost miss the dark shape that hurls itself in from the cave's roof, landing with a splash next to me. Before I can turn, my feet and hands are frozen to the wall.

"Who's there?" she calls out. Of course. Attack first, ask questions later. I smugly ask myself who she could have possibly picked _that_ trait up from.

"Who do you think?" I reply, wishing I could break free from her bonds. But the full moon's light is illuminating the beach, and I know that she is unstoppable on nights like these.

A gloved hand gently lifts the mask from my scarred face. "Well, well, well. Look what I've got here." I see a flash of white and assume it's her smile. "Good evening, Blue Spirit. Or should I say Fire Lord Zuko."

"You know which one I prefer." My longing for her is growing by the second, and I pull in vain at my icy shackles.

"And you should know better than to try to fight me tonight."

"You should also not keep me waiting so long after a mission. I thought I was going to have to come back for you."

"You? Save me? I'd like to see that."

"You did see it, remember? That day at the Western Air Temple, when my crazy sister tried to blow us all up?"

I can barely see her eyes roll. "I could've jumped out of the way. I was about to, actually, until you slammed into me."

"Once again, I'll take that as a thank you."

"I don't believe you ever said 'thank you' to me when I pulled you out of that crazy free-fall on to Appa," she countered, taking a step closer.

"I thought my heroic leap in front of Azula's lightning bolt counted."

"It would've, if your stupid stunt hadn't nearly killed you, causing me to beat your sister for you _and_ save your life. So you still owe me a thank you."

"And how would you like to be thanked?" I could hear my voice deepening, and prayed she wouldn't keep me hostage for much longer. When I'd mentioned the lightning, her hands had come to rest on my chest, and I wanted that touch on my bare skin.

"Come find me and I'll let you know." With that, she darted out of the cave, releasing me moments after she was out of sight. I picked up my mask and made myself walk out slowly, giving her time to find a good spot on the abandoned Earth Kingdom beach. But the sandy beach was empty. I took a few more steps forward-

-and was attacked from behind. "You get sloppy when you're needy," she purred, her weight pushing me into the still-warm sand.

"And you become the worst tease when there's a full moon," I muttered, trying not to get anymore sand in my mouth. She slides onto the sand next to me, and I notice that she has already left her clothes in a pile not too far away.

"I want to go swimming," she decides moments before launching herself up, giving my face a good coating of sand in her exuberance.

I sit up, brushing away the tiny flecks and watching her. Her skin glows in the moon's luminescence, her wild hair shining white at times as the waves dance around her. The way her body twists and turns, the sheer beauty of her bare skin exposed in the moon-lit water, is more than I can take. I rush to add my dark clothing to her pile before diving in to join her.

We dance in a sort-of slow dance for a while, me mesmerized and her swaying to a song only she can hear, her eyes closed and her head swaying from side to side. At last, her silent song ends, and she clings to me, head nestled under my chin as I continue to take us in a small, slow circle.

"Zuko?" I hum in reply. "How long have we been married now?"

I add up the dates quickly. "One year and four months, almost to the day. Why?"

I feel her shrug. "Just wondering."

She's lying. I pull her away, keeping my eyes on hers. "Tell me."

Her mouth opens and closes twice before she can finally spit it out. "I want a family, Zuko. I want to be a mother. The mother of your children. I want it more than anything."

"Are you sure?" I cup her face in my hands. "I'm not saying that I don't want that, as well, but once we commit, there's really no going back. You won't be able to come on mission anymore-"

"I won't have to stop for a few more months, and if I conceive soon, that will be winter and nobody really does anything bad in winter. And I can always sneak away for quick mission around home-"

I cut her off with a kiss. "No. You have to stay safe. For our child. If they have to be raised by only one parent, it has to be you."

"And why is that?"

"Because if you were gone, I wouldn't be able to function anymore."

She stops any other thoughts with her kiss, and the same hunger I'd felt a few moments ago is back with a vengeance. Her legs wind around my torso as I grab onto her back, fighting my way back to shore. We almost topple over as her tongue slides between my lips, distracting me in the worst possible way.

Just before I lower her down, she pulls back. "Wait wait wait," she gasps. "Not on the sand. Lay out the clothes." We both rush to make a quick bed, and as soon as we're satisfied she drags me down over her.

As the kisses between the young couple deepen, two people stand on the cliff overlooking their "secret" beach.

"I think it's time we stop spying now," says the elder, his gravely voice slightly deeper than normal. "And we need to keep this to ourselves."

His companion is not listening. Her head is tilted, as if listening to something far away. Abruptly, the man wraps his large hands around her waist, hoisting her onto his shoulders.

"No peeking!" he orders, holding the protesting earth bender's feet tightly to his chest to avoid any bruising her kicks might cause.

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><p><strong>AN: I hope you liked this one too! Drop me a note to tell me how you felt, you have no idea how motivating any kind of critique is!**


	5. Awkward

I awoke with a pounding headache. Actually, it was more of a dull, vibrating throb. My eyes slid open slowly, and all I could see was read. I blinked several times and rubbed my eyes furiously, but the color scheme never changed. The wall, the floor, the sheets, and even the dresser were all the same shade of crimson. I rose slowly, trying to remember why I wasn't in my room within the walls of the Northern Water Tribe.

I could see Yue's worried face, telling me that Sokka and Aang had yet to return from a short fishing trip, hear Pakku's stern command to stay in the city and not look for them in the blizzard, feel the biting cold of the wind as it drove the snow into my face, and recall the weightlessness that came from falling off the ice shelf and into the polar water.

"I should be dead," I murmured. But no. I had been rescued. There had been a man, a man almost as warm as the sun. He had pushed the water out of my lungs and the air back into it. He'd told me I wasn't allowed to die. "Don't even think about it," he'd said. "I didn't risk my ass just so you could die on me!" I tried to put a face to the voice, but it was all a blur of black and blue against a stark white background. Shaking away my scattered memories, I glanced up at the red and black tapestry next to my head. The fire insignia loomed over me, the only thing I'd learned to truly fear all of my life.

I was on a Fire Navy vessel.

My breathing quickened as I started to panic. If they had me, then what had happened to Aang? And my brother? Could the world's enemy have finally taken away any chance of hope for our broken world?

I realized that there was only one way to find out. And since they'd gone and left me unattended,

Using the limited hunting skills Sokka had bothered to share with me, I slid off the cot to press my cheek on the cold iron floor. My ears were flooded with the whirring of the machinery and furnaces a layer beneath me. Sighing in frustration, I lifted my head and instead tried to hear footsteps on the other side of the door.

I could feel the moon rising, and guessed that most of the crew would either be asleep or in a mess hall. _Fire Navy ships have mess halls, right?_ I wondered as I padded to the door. Blocking out the sound of my racing heart, I listened for the sound of patrolling guards in the hall. Hearing nothing, I reached for the door and prayed that by some miracle it had been left unlocked. Grimacing, I yanked as hard as I could; the bolt gave way and the door swung open. No sooner had I stepping into the barren hallway than the clunking of heavy metal boots reverberated off the walls and made my whole body freeze. As they drew steadily closer, my brain finally kicked into action and spurring me on, down the passage, away from the marching stampede of men. I reached a T junction, and paused long enough to see the light coming steadily closer as the men continued their march down the silent otherwise-noiseless hall. Blindly, I turned down the dark side tunnel-

-and smacked into a rock-solid wall. I stumbled back, rubbing my forehead. I looked up at the obstacle my face had found, and gasped in shock. There, standing calmly in front of me, was the famed Fire Nation criminal; the Blue Spirit. My eyes flitted from the ornate mask to admire the snow-white winter clothes that did little to hide his muscular physique. I blinked, feeling a strong sense of déjà vu, when the boots started to reverberate off the harsh iron walls around us. Startled, the realization of who was standing in front of me slammed into my chest. I took this stranger in again with different eyes, noting the sword and length of rope slung across his chest, the rugged dirtiness of his pale outfit, and the mysterious, concealing mask. My eyes, I knew, were reflecting the fearful hope I now felt as I realized I had run into the person who could help me escape! Why else would a Fire Nation criminal be on board Zuko's ship? They couldn't be allies.

He took a quick step towards me, his hands reaching for his blade, and my heart sank. Maybe he wouldn't help me. He and Zuko were both fugitives in their home country.

I turned to flee, but he was much quicker then I had originally believed. He wrapped his large, gloved hands around my wrists, his grip like a vice. I struggled in vain for a few moments before stopping to stare him down.

His eyes were bright white circles with dead, black pupils as he leaned towards my neck, pulling me closer. My heart raced and my knees trembled as his warm breath tickled my ear.

"I'll save you from the pirates."

His deep, raspy voice was a purr, a threat, a promise, a yank on my heartstrings, and shockingly familiar. He released my one wrist and suddenly we were running, fleeing, flying, floating, falling, tumbling, tripping, twisting down the curved iron stairs. His grip started to slip, and without pausing to think my fingers wove between his perfectly as we continued to run together, escaping the pirates that would, without a doubt, separate us all too soon. A smile, a perfect, unforced smile spread across my face, and now he, this boy, this man, this ghost without a face was working to keep up with me as we sprinted blindly, not knowing or caring where our feet were taking us.

But all songs have final lines, all conversations a good-bye, and ships can't stretch on forever, no matter how badly you wish they would.

We had skidded to a stop in the middle of another T intersection. On his left, the hallway turned around and led farther into the ship, down, down into the dark unknown.

To my right, up a short flight of stairs, the salty tang of the ocean air was singing to my whole body, dancing in my veins, calling me towards the light of the full moon and the power of the raging waves. I leaned into the intoxicating aroma, but my hand was pulled back. The stranger was shaking his head. I scowled.

"Why not?" I snapped. I needed to feel the ocean breeze on my face, taste the salty breath of the sea once again.

He merely shook his head.

I understood what he was trying to tell me. It was too heavily guarded; I would never make it out on my own, even with the power of the moonlight, and I was fairly sure that he'd only help me to get back inside.

I looked back up those stairs that lead to my personal haven. His fingers squeezed gently around mine, and his breath grew hot on my neck once again. My body stiffened, but my brain refused to work and my heart was working to hammer a hole through my chest.

"Trust me?"

It was little more than a whisper, but the way he asked, nearly begged, made me turn back to face him.

That was the first of many crossroads in my life that would involve him. If I had known, maybe I would have made a different choice.

Or maybe not.

One path led up, to the world of the sun and the moon and stars and ice and water and friends and family that I knew, the only life I had ever known, the life I understood and belonged to. The other led down, into the dark and unknown, into the very core of a nation I had been taught to fear ever since I could speak, that I had been shown was the land of the enemy, and with a man I had only seen in random wanted posters scattered across his old home country but who, I was starting to feel, could be an important part of my life.

The Katara that had lived in the South would have run up, run away, and run back to Aang and Pakku and Gran Gran for protection and let them worry about finding the boys now that she had failed.

But I was not that Katara anymore.

Besides, it was either this criminal or those Fire Nation soldiers trying to capture me.

And at least he was being polite.

The path he chose led us past the great machines that kept the ship moving, now nearly dormant as they prepared for a daylight attack. We cut down a darker hall, and he opened the door at the end for me.

A large panel was missing from the side of the ship, and all I could see were glaciers and the dark night sky. A pale boat, a kayak, was resting on the ground, it's tips looped around rope that disappeared out the top of the opening.

"You're helping me get away?" I asked, turning. He nodded once. "And are you the one that saved me from drowning?" Another nod. "Why? Why are you helping me?"

His reply was a shrug and a push into the small craft. He wrapped the slack around both his hands and began pushing me out the window.

"Wait!" I shrieks, not wanting to go into a free-fall over the ocean. "Can't I at least know who you are?"

His violent head shake almost knocked his mask off.

"Then can't I at least give you a proper thank you?"

My little vessel was perched at the edge of the large ship, and he had his leg resting on the side, ready to send me out, but he kept still as I rose slowly, tilting his mask to the side and giving him a quick kiss. But when our lips touched, it was as if there was a force pulling us closer, and we both pressed harder, not wanting to be the first to break the contact. I needed to know who he was, so I yanked off the metal hiding his face. He broke away, and my legs almost gave out.

"This is a bit awkward," said the prince, his golden eyes watching mine warily.

"You. You saved me. You're smuggling me off your ship." He nodded slowly, as if he was afraid any sudden movement would cause me to spook and topple over the edge. "I don't get it."

"Me either," he confessed.

"You're not going to use me for bait?"

He shrugged. "That's too easy. Besides, I hear you've found a master. Even I'm not stupid enough to keep a water bender captive on a ship."

He gave the boat a kick that knocked me onto my butt and the small craft into empty air. I could see him straining at the ropes, making sure I would go down smoothly.

"One more thing!" I called when I was halfway down. He halted my progress. "If you ever touch Aang, I will end you."

A bright smile flashed across his face. "I wouldn't want it any other way."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hooray for awkwardness! So, yeah. Leave a comment if you loved it/hated it/could care less about it. Thanks for reading!**


	6. Legendary

"They're at it again."

The older cook looks up from the dough she has been kneading to watch a wave of water fly past the open window. "Close that, then," she barks at her young assistant. She had been here for the past three generations, and the daily fights are beginning to remind her of the time Ursa was pregnant with Zuko. "If she keeps that up, she'll give birth to another bloody Avatar," she mutters as she sprinkles more flour on her work surface.

"Oh, wouldn't that be fantastic?" gushes the girl at the window. "The water bending wife of the Fire Lord gives birth to the balancer of the universe? It would help unite our world once and for all."

The cook glances up at the naïve girl. "What do you mean, unite? It would ignite another war."

"How?"

"The Fire Nation would spend all their time claiming that it's their Avatar, because it's father was their ruler and it was born in their country, but the tribes would say it's theirs because the mother is a water bender and the next element in the cycle is water. It would be more of a hassle than it's worth, in my opinion. Now keep stirring that kettle, Ming, or else the soup will burn."

The kitchen is quiet for a few moments more before Lord Zuko's personal server barges in, panting heavily. "Their little lover spats are the stuff of legends," he growls, wiping soot from his forehead.

"Barely made it out alive, did we?" cackles the old woman as she dusts off her hands. "Sit down. I'll bring you a spot of fire saki."

"Thanks, Mum. I could do with a quick drink." He rests his head in his hands as a deep rumble shakes the palace.

"What could they be exploding this time? I thought they ran out of fresh kindling last week."

"I believe, Mum dearest, that they have moved on to the Fire Lord's gardens. It has the most trees, and a rather large pond."

"Takes me back to the days of Lady Ursa. At least with their fights, she couldn't bend anything."

"Oh, look! They're back!" exclaims Ming, jumping up and down at the still-closed window. The group crowds around the glass, watching their Lord and Lady in their dance of inches.

"How she manages to move so fluidly while carrying a child never ceases to amaze me," breathes the serving man.

"Don't worry, Chi, she won't be able to move like that for long. Give her another month, and she'll be too heavy to twist around like that." Her eyes narrow as she watches Lady Katara twirl over a spout of flames from her husband, pulling a spire of water towards his unguarded face before her feet can even touch the ground.

"I give them five more minutes before they realize that it was all just a big misunderstanding," says Chi.

"Again," they all chorus.

The battling duo leap over the roof again, and the staff return to the their previous duties.

"I wonder how they're going to explain all this to the future generations. The love battles, I mean," says Ming from her post at the large black pot.

"They'll probably call it 'Lord Zuko and his Constant Battles for Affection.'"

"Or 'How to Survive Pregnancy with Your Head Intact.'"

The help snorts to themselves while, outside, the war ends in a soft kiss and a whispered "I love you."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry, I just couldn't bring myself to write another super long one. Hope you still liked it!**


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